Muppets Season 1 releases Aug 9, 2005

Yes, you are correct. Jerry Juhl has been one of the big players in the production of these sets. He is apparently on great terms with the Muppets (although I wouldn't expect to see him writting the next Muppet screenplay or television project).

i was thinking about the piolet eps. and there might be a problem with the valentine day one because of both Ernie and Bert being in the closing credits. thats just a terroy but was not Ernie in sex and violence as well.

We dont know im hoping its both piolets but we are not sure which one it is. Oh Beaker i really think that this DVD box set will show you and some others fans who are kind of upset with most of what Disney is doing with the muppets., that they are not all bad. They seem to be putting a whole lot of time love and energy into this. I mean there doing a tribute to Jim!!!!!!!!!!!!! that in itself is enogh for me. Because when Disney bought the muppets i thought that they where totaly forget about the one who created them in the frist place. Thats not the case though they are trying to pull as many people from Jim's life & TMS life to really make this a wonderfull DVD.

Oh yea and on a side note about muppet morsuls. They did somthing like that on the "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" DVD and i really got a lot out of it. If your a true Muppet fan you will defently love this featuer i think.

For that original pilot bonus feature, is that going to be Sex and violence from 1974?

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At this point I have been unable to get a clear answer if the item everyone is calling "Original Pilot" means the set will have "The Muppets Valentine Show", "The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence", or both. I was told by someone working on the set that the DVD producers wanted to include both pilots but due to space avalible on the discs they may not be able to fit both (but they still hope both can be included), if both do not make the cut for season one the unreleased pilot may be included on the season 2 set. And if only one pilot makes it onto season 1, no one I've been able to get a hold of has been able to tell me which one it will be. Hopefully the answer to this surfaces before August 9th. Only time will tell if we get "Sex and Violence, "The Valentine Show", or both.

While 'The Valentine Special' has always been one of my most anticipated and hopeful releases and I much prefer it to the original 'Sex & Violence' pilot episode... I hope that 'Sex & Violence' is included in this set if only one because at least 'The Valentine Special' can be worked into a seperate solo release timed for the holidays (I hope). If 'Sex & Violence' doesn't make it into this Season One release for whatever reason though, it's doubtful that we'll ever see it resurface in any other context on DVD. I assume the title alone would be deemed too "controversial" to release individually in conjunction with The Muppets franchise under Disney's strict p.c. guidelines. I hope both make it though, and if not, I hope Disney sees fit to release 'The Valentine Special' later this year as a promotional holiday release.

i was thinking about the piolet eps. and there might be a problem with the valentine day one because of both Ernie and Bert being in the closing credits. thats just a terroy but was not Ernie in sex and violence as well.

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Ernie and Bert appear in one of the Season 1 episodes as well, but there should be no problem whatsoever for Disney to put any episodes with Sesame characters on DVD.

Wow not enough room on the DVDs that means these are really going to have a lot of specal featurs. If they are really wanting to get both piolets on seaon one they should do like they did with ER season one. they had reversed DVDs. Which means that they had shows and thing on both sides of the DVD ya know kind of the way Sony did all the Muppet movie DVDs. They could put both piolets and some extra featers on one side of the frist DVD and then on the other side start out with the Frist Epp. Not all the box sets would have to be this way i mean i bought ER season 3 and it is the normal one sidded DVD. Just a suggestion

I did not know that Bert and Ernie also appered in a show from Season one
Thanks for the info.

Adding another disc or another side to the discs will increase the cost of production. They do not feel it is worth it to increase their space 25% (and increase the cost) just for another 22-mins of footage to squeeze in one more pilot that they could just hold for another set with room to kill. It's mainly a money issue on if they can fit both or not. Adding another disc or adding a double-sided disc will make the set not only cost more to buy but will cost more to make; and for one extra pilot they don't feel its worth it.

yeah well we gotta save some extras for hopeful future releases of TMS, It's seems that we at least get one as it is listed. I just hope that they are un-cut, When Nick aird the Muppet Valentine show back in like 1993 it was slightly edited from what i've heard, then Oddessy edited a lot more out of it when it aird on that former channle which is now the Halmark channle. the way the Oddessy channle ran, they eidted a lot of of the shows and movies they played, I was watching TGMC on Odd back a few years ago now and they edited the whole bike sceen out! that's like one of the most memorable Muppet sceens! So lets hope that the Pilot's are not edited.

yeah well we gotta save some extras for hopeful future releases of TMS, It's seems that we at least get one as it is listed.

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Yes there will be atleast one. And while you are on the subject of saving extras for future releases:

In talking with some of the people working on the sets I have heard a whole bunch of things about the hopes for future seasons – nothing to solid but a good idea that the other sets will be just as packed. The other seasons (if/when they are produced) will (most likely and hopefully) include: all the season specific episodes (with UK skits included), all new "Muppet Morsels" on each episodes, the specific season’s promo reel, Muppet-related sneak peeks, and much much more!
If both pilots don't make the cut for season 1, the one that was left out may go on the season 2 set. I’m also told that the "Of Muppet & Men" special is being held for season 5 (the season in which it was produced). Depending on the success of the season 1 set, Disney may produce more retrospectives for future sets too. Plus there is a lot of other season/show specific things in the Henson vault that Disney is working to uncover and hopefully work into future sets (such as interviews, behind the scenes footage, deleted/unused/alternate/test footage, and more).

The success of season one (and then the seasons to follow) will be used to gauge the amount Disney will be willing to invest into the production of the future seasons. The better season one does early on, the more likely Disney will give the season 2 production team the green light and the green stuff ($) to make the next set not only arrive quicker but also to make the next set greater (or equally great) for the fans and consumers.

Zack the Dog said:

I just hope that they are un-cut...lets hope that the Pilot's are not edited.

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I’ve been told that Disney has worked on all the physical and legal stuff to keep the episodes in tact. Although some episodes/skits feature characters that are owned by other companies or feature music owned by other companies, Disney wants to release the show uncut and hopes to do so. Also content has been cut to fit the syndication time frame, but working from the original masters of the episodes they will be the uncut versions. I’ve been told not to worry about the episodes being edited.

I’ve been told that Disney has worked on all the physical and legal stuff to keep the episodes in tact. Although some episodes/skits feature characters that are owned by other companies or feature music owned by other companies, Disney wants to release the show uncut and hopes to do so. Also content has been cut to fit the syndication time frame, but working from the original masters of the episodes they will be the uncut versions. I’ve been told not to worry about the episodes being edited.

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Do we know what characters might give rights problems? I can guess the Sesame Street ones, as I think the Sesame and Muppet licenses are different. Do they need to clear shows where there was a guest puppeteer like Bruce Schwartz?

I'm pretty sure it has to do with the music rights. When Henson paid for the rights to use the songs on the Muppet Show, they likely only payed for television/syndication rights. Oftentimes, additional royalties have to be paid for the rights to use the music on video/DVD.

As for the Sesame Street characters, I'm pretty sure that Disney's agreement with Henson and Sesame Workshop allows them to use all material with Sesame or Fraggle characters without editing so long as the merchandise is not marketed using any of these characters. The same goes for Sesame Street's use of Kermit.

Hmmmm... 40 bucks. Seems a might steep, but once the retailors get them out, maybe they'll be cheaper in certain locations. Anyway, this was one of the only Muppet projects I have really been looking forward too recently. Now, the Disney is trying to keep everything in tact gives me both reservations and hope. Maybe if they have this completely unedited, it'll give them the courage to release MFC Uncut, if Henson wants to make a deal, along with SW.

Whatever piolot it is, I'd love to see it. And if there's more than one set, maybe the other pilot will be on it. You know, when Disney first made Columbia give up it's license to release the Muppet show DVD's I was a bit spooked. But seeing as how these DVD's may have all the episodes on them (if they release all the seasons) I'm feelin' okay. Especially after I dropped my tape of Muppets with Star Wars and never was able to replace it.

At this point I have been unable to get a clear answer if the item everyone is calling "Original Pilot" means the set will have "The Muppets Valentine Show", "The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence", or both. I was told by someone working on the set that the DVD producers wanted to include both pilots but due to space avalible on the discs they may not be able to fit both (but they still hope both can be included), if both do not make the cut for season one the unreleased pilot may be included on the season 2 set. And if only one pilot makes it onto season 1, no one I've been able to get a hold of has been able to tell me which one it will be. Hopefully the answer to this surfaces before August 9th. Only time will tell if we get "Sex and Violence, "The Valentine Show", or both.

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I can't see the words "sex and violence" being included on a Disney dvd...so Im guessing sadly it will be the Valentine special(which I didnt get too much into) or Sex and Violence with the titles cut. TMS: S&V is the only real pilot tho, so thwey could mean that. And yes, I give Disney props for putting this out with all the extra goodies. good thing I never got the Columbia dvds!

pppapazo said:

As for the Sesame Street characters, I'm pretty sure that Disney's agreement with Henson and Sesame Workshop allows them to use all material with Sesame or Fraggle characters without editing so long as the merchandise is not marketed using any of these characters. The same goes for Sesame Street's use of Kermit.

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Good, as to us fans Sesame and Fraggle will always be Muppet universe canon. And notice, as of 2000 they were legally still apart of JHC